Wednesday, September 10, 2008

My sincerest apologies to all of my loyal followers...and by loyal followers, I mean (most likely) my dad and some random stalker. But I'm fine with that, keep on stalking...I guess?

Well if you actually don't know me, I'm back at school as a junior at Valparaiso University. It's been an absolute whirlwind since leaving SD. And it's hard to say whether or not that's a good thing. In the past, I've been incredibly excited about going back to school, getting away from my family again (sorry Dad), and hanging out with all of the great people I've met here at VU. This summer, however, was incredibly different. I had the great privilege of working on a political campaign that inspired me. Not only was the work itself inspiring, but even more so the people that I was able to meet along the way. I ran as far away from SD as I could after graduating from WHS (class of '06 baby!) because I thought I was done with SD...I thought I had figured it all out and that the state and the people had nothing left to offer me. I couldn't have been more wrong. Being the age that I am, I felt intimidated to have the job that I had without any direct experience and wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do as good of a job that was necessary. Needless to say, I think I learned how to be successful in this environment. I worked with two other college-aged men and they inspired me. Not only are they BY FAR the most intelligent guys I have ever known, they both made me laugh the entire day...in their own special way, of course. It's interesting to note that these two men have completely different personalities...yet I learned so much from each of them. And for that, I will always be grateful. My boss (well, both of them) were phenomenal teachers and mentors. Even though I might have doubted myself, they never once were apprehensive about me or my ability to do the job. And that means the world to me. When it was time for me to return to the Hoosier State, it was incredibly motivating to hear them say that they didn't want me to go. Nobody has ever had that level of confidence in me...and by no means am I saying that I deserve it, but I know now that it's possible to achieve it. I now have an incredibly high standard for future co-workers, because frankly, I'm not sure if it gets any better than this.

To sum up this point, it's 100% accurate to state that I miss South Dakota. I fell head over heels with SD this summer. And not just Sioux Falls, but the Black Hills, the Corn Palace, small town SD, and every single dorky tradition that the state has. I know that post-graduation plans will include me returning home, because I know that I would never be able to value another place as much as I now value my home.

So here I am...back at school. Taking 21 credits (gag me) and still trying to graduate early. Once again, I'm over-involved, professors are nominating me for too many things (said in the least-conceited way possible), drama has already started to form, and I'm exhausted. Without going into any detail for fear of boring my readers and giving off the impression that I'm over-emotional, I'm just sick of being disappointed by people. There's something about my personality that gives off the impression that I never get hurt...I'm never disappointed by the actions that other people make...that I don't deserve to have the conversations that are meant to be face-to-face. What is it? I have absolutely no idea...I'm trying to figure it out. Some people have told me I'm intimidating, which could be it, but I honestly have no idea. College is supposed to be the best time of your life, but at this point, I'm over it. I'm ready for something greater. But in the meanwhile, I just have to keep pushing, keep striving, and keep persevering...knowing that I'll catch a break sometime.